Electric alarm clock



Jan. 26, 1965 RENE-PHILIPPE JACCARD 3,166,887

ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK Filed Nov. 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR RENE"PHILIPPE JflCC/IRD 1965 RENE-PHILIPPE JACCARD 3,155,887

ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK Filed Nov. 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR UnitedStates Patent Ofiice ddbiifiii? Patented Jan. 26,1965

Electric alarm clocks are generally provided with releasing means whichdisengage the alarm mechanism once every twelve or twenty-four hours.Thus, each release allows the alarm to operate during a more or lessprotracted time. It is a well-known fact that a sleeper is impressed bythe beginning ot'the ringing of a bell and it is not necessary for theringing to last a long time for its operation to be efiicient, but itwould be preferable to provide an intermittent ringing.

Alarm clocks have already been made, wherein a mechanically controlledbell sounds for a short time and repeats its call until the sleeper isready to cut oil the ringing. Embodiments have also been proposed foractuating a radio or an optic system. Such arrangements show thedrawback that they do not automatically stop operating.

An object of the invention is to provide an electric alarm clock with areleasing system which provides for the operation of an alarm systemonce every twenty-four hours. According to my invention, a rigid rodwith two radial arms is rotated through action on one of its arms of amechanism forming part of the timing or counting gearwork. The rotationcauses the other arm on the rod to sweep over a series of contact-piecesinserted in parallel in an electric alarm circuit, whereby the alarmsystem operates each time said other arm passes over a contactpiece andis interrupted each time the arm passes over a non-conductive areabetween two successive contactpieces, the number of alarm. signals beingdefined by the number of contact-pieces provided.

I have illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, apreferred embodiment of my invention. In said drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are plan views of the alarm system for two differentpositions thereof,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional illustrations through line III-III ofFIG. 1, showing the alarm system and the means for releasing same, fortwo different positions of the latter.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the angularly and vertically shiftablecylindrical control rod carries radially two arms 2 and 3 of which thearm 2 engages through its reinforced outer end the periphery of a cam 4driven by the timing or counting gearwork of the clockwork. The arm 3the end of which is bent downwardly, engages an insulating plate 5. Theplate 5 carries a plurality of contact-pieces 6 inserted in parallel inthe electric alarm circuit. The cam 4 engaged by the arm 2 isconstituted by a cylindrical d-isc over the transverse surface of whichare provided four substantially spiral-shaped grooves '7 while a core 8is provided centrally on said disc. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the cylindricalrod 1 as engaging through its tip the side of a wheel 16 of theunlocking mechanism. The unlocking mechanism is of a conventional typeand includes the releasing wheel 10 carrying a depending cylindrical pin11. The releasing wheel 10 extends above a wheel 12 and is rigid withrespect to the cam 13 provided with notches 14. The wheel 19 is drivenat the rate of one revolution per twenty-four hours by the motion work,whereas the wheel 12 is actuated by the alarm setting gear. The wheel 12is therefore stationary as long as the user does not proceed with asetting of the alarm to the desired time.

When the cylindrical pin 11 on the wheel 10 drops into the notch 14 ofthe underlying wheel 12, the wheel 10 moves nearer the wheel 12 and thecontrol rod 1 engaging the transverse surface of the Wheel is shiftedaxially. The shifting is furthered by the pressure of the blade spring15, while the spring 9 urges the arm 2 against the core 3 or" the earn4. As long as the control rod remains in its upper position illustratedin FIG. 3, a sufficient clearance separates the arm 2 from the cam andthe arm 3 from the contact-pieces 6 registering vertically therewith.

An electric circuit fed by the battery 16 extends through thecontaet-pieces 6, the arm 3, the shaft or rod 1, the casing of the alarmclock which grounds the circuit and back through a manually controlledswitch 18 and an alarm system 17; said circuit is energized uponengagement of the arm 3 with a contact-piece 6.

The operati n of the alarm system is as follows:

Slightly before the moment at which the alarm is to ring, the pin 11drops into the notch 14 and the wheel 10 sinks toward the wheel 12. Thecontrol rod follows the wheel 10 and is shifted axially so as to bringthe arm 2 into contact with the surface of the cam 4 while the arm 3sinks onto the insulating plate carrying the contact-pieces 6. Theclockwise rotation of the cam 4 sets after a very short time the outerend of the arm 2 inside the inner end or" one of the cam grooves 7. Thearm 2 is then guided along the grooves 7 and constrains the control rod1 to turn anticlockwise, the arm 2 moving outwardly of the cam 4. Theend of the arm 3 which is thus angularly shifted, enters in successionin contact with the dil erent contact-pieces and with the intermediateinsulating areas. When the arm 3 rests on a contact-piece 6, theelectric circuit is closed and the battery feeds the alarm system. Thus,by providing four contact-pieces separated by insulating areas of asuitable size, it is possible to make the alarm ring four times insuccession, each time for a duration of ten seconds, for instance, withseparating silences lasting ten to thirty seconds. The alarm ringingcycle comes to an end while the cam continues guiding the arm 2.Thereupon, the arm 2 is brought onto the periphery of the cam The 24hour wheel 1% continues rotating and the sloping front surface of thenotch 14 ur es the pin 11 upwardly, so that the wheel 10 with said pin11 lifts the control rod 1 together with the arms 2 and 3 against theaction of the spring 15.

Thus, a short time after the alarm has rung, the arms 2 and 3 are liftedand are no longer in contact with the cam 4 and with the contact-pieces6. The spring 9 urges then the arm 2 back into its starting positionagainst the core 3 of the cam, so that the arm 3 enters the positionillustrated in PEG. 2. This is an inoperative position for which thelower depending end of the arm 2 engages only the periphery of the core8 of the cam 4. The upper surface of the cam 4 is slightly concave, sothat during its return movement towards the core 8 the arm 2 is not heldback by one of the grooves 7 in the cam.

When the alarm is being set according to requirement, a knob on theoutside of the casing is caused to turn, so as to drive through a gearinwhich is not illustrated the wheel 12 in a direction such that the pin11 moves away from the transverse rear surface of the notch 14. If thetime setting of the alarm system is performed during the ringing of thealarm or slightly afterwards, the sloping surface to the front of thenotch 14 urges the pin 11 on the wheel 10 together with the control rodupwardly and the ringing is brought to an end since the arms 2 and 3 areurged away from the cooperating surfaces on th earn and on the plate 5.The spring 9 returns said arms as described into the positionillustrated in FIG. 2 so that the mechanism enters its inoperativeposition.

When the clock hands are set to time, a further knob on the outside ofthe casing is caused to turn so as to ariacontrol through a gearingthrough the motion work the 24 hour 3 ll slides consequently over theflat surface l3. Said rotation is erformed in a direction such thatnotch slightly after the bell has rung, the pin slides as precedinglyover the sloping front surface or the notch l urges the wheel upwardlytogether with t e control rod, whereby the ringing is cut a d the arms 2urged away from the coop-era ng bearing surfa spring 9 returns said armsinto the position illust 2 the mechanism returns into its inoperposition. i

' The hand-operate switch 18 allows cutting out for long periods theoperation of the alarm, whereas pushing of the rod 1), of which one endwhich is not illustrated, projects outside the casing, allows a cut ngof the alarm bell ringing through a speedy rotation the control rod andof the arms 2 and 3 during the operative period of the alarm as provid dthrough impact of the arm I? on a further radial aas rigid with thecontrol rod 1. My invention is by no limited to the embodimentsdescribed and it covers all other embodiments falling within the scopeof the accompanying claims; in particular it is possible to adjust thenumber of ringing periods, their duration and the duration of thesilences between said periods. The alarm system may be constituted by anacoustic generator such as a bell or a buzzer, but it may also beconstituted by a generator of luminous rays, such as an intermittent liht or else a combinatoon of these diiierent arrangements. Such an alarmsystem may be positioned inside the casing of the alarm clock, in whichcase a plurality of alarm systems may be associated with a single clock.

My improved intermittently ringing alarm clock shows the advantage ofrepeating several times its signal and of stopping automatically saidrepeated signals after'a predetermined period. This stopping cuts outthe risk or" protracting the ringing until the battery is exhausted. Myimproved alarm mechanism is of a sturdy and simple struc ture asconcerns both the mechanical parts and the electric components, whichensure reliable operation with a cost price reduced to a minimum.

What I claim is:

1. ln an alarm clock, t is combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to be driven by the latter, a control rod adapted torock round its axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, a cam drivenby the timing mechanism and adapted to vangularly shift the control rodbetween two angular positions, a series of contact-pieces over whichsaid arm is adapted to sweep in succession upon angular shifting of therod between said positions, an alarm sy ern, an electric alarm circuitfeeding said alarm system in parallel over said contact-pieces, an alarmtime-setting mechanism and means whereby the clockwork operativelyinterengagcs the cam with the control rod to anguiarly shift the rodbetween said positions and thereby make the arm sweep over saidcontact-pieces and produce at the time defined by the alarm time-settingmechanism, a succession of signals th number of which is equal to thatof the contact-pieces.

2. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapte tobe driven by the latter,

a control rod adapted to rock round its axis, an arm radially rigid withsaid rod, a cam driven by the timing 1 echanism, a second arm radiallyrigid with the control rod and adapted to be controlled by the cam toangularly shift the control rod between two angular positions, a

series of contact-pieces over which said firsbmentioned F arm is adaptedto ewe-en in succession upon angular shifting of the rod between saidpositions, an alarm system, an electric alarm circuit feeding said alarmsystem in parallel over said contact-pieces, an alarm time-settingmechanism and means whereby the clockwork operativcly es the with secondarm to angularly 'veen said positions and thereby make the arm swe oversaid contact-pieces and fir st-mentione produce at he time oenned by thealarm time-s tting mechanism, a succession of signals the number ofwhich is equal to that of the contact-pieces.

3. in an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a mechanismadapted to be driven by the latter, an axially sh -.able control rodadapted to rock round its axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, acam driven by the timing mechanism, a second arm radially rigid wit thecontrol rod and adapted to be controlled by the cam to angularly shiftthe control rod between two angular positions for a predeterminedoperative axial position of said rod, 2. series of contact-pieces overwhich said firstre rioned arm is adapted to sweep in succession uponshifting of the rod between said positions, an lar a system, an electricalarm circuit feeding said alarm system in parallel over saidcontact-pieces, an alarm timesetting mechanism, an axially shiitablewheel permanently controlled by the motion work and engaging through itstransverse surface one end of the control rod and means whereby thealarm time-setting mechanism shifts said wheel axially between anoperative and an inoperative latter, an axially shiftable control rodadapted to rock round its axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, acam driven by the timing mechanism, a second arm radially rigid with thecontrol rod and adapted to be controlled by the cam to angularly shiftthe control rod between two angular positions for a predeterminedoperative axial position of said rod, 2. series of contact-pieces overwhich said first-nentioned arm is adapted to sweep in succession uponangular shifting of the rod between said positions, an alarm system, anelectric alarm circuit feeding said alarm system in parallel over saidcontact-pieces,an alarm time-setting mechanism, an axially shiftablewheel permanently controlled by the motion work and engaging through itstransverse surface one end of the control rod, a rotary member providedwith a notch facing said wheel and the angular setting of which isdefined by the alarrr time-setting mechanism and a pin rigid with saidwheel and adapted to drop into said notch at a time defined by thetime-setting mechanism to thereby make the wheel drop axially out of aninoperative into an operative position to shift s id rod into itsoperative axial position for which the second arm engages the cam andangularly shifts the rod between said positions to make thefirstmentioned arm sweep over said contact-pieces and produce asuccession of signals the number of which is equal to that of thecontact-pieces.

5. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to be driven by the latter, a control rod adapted torock round itis axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, a cam drivenby the t ming mechanism and adapted to angularly shift the control rodbetween two an ular positions, a series of contactpieces over which saidarm is adapted to sweep in succession upon angular shifting of the rodbetween said positions, an acoustic alarm system, an electric alarmcircuit feeding. said alarm system in parallel over said contact-pieces,an alarm time-setting mechanism and means whereby th clockworkoperatively interengages the cam with the control rod to angularly shiftthe rod between said positions and thereby make the arm sweep over saidcontactces and produce at the time define by the alarm time-settingmechanism, a succession of sig nals the number of which is equal to thatof the contactpieces.

6. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to bedriven by the latter, a control rod adapted torock round its axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, a cam drivenby the timing mechanism and adapted to angularly shift the control rodbetween two angular positions, a series of contact-pieces over whichsaid arm is adapted to sweep in succession upon angular shifting of therod between said positions, an optic alarm system, an electric alarmcircuit feeding said alarm system in parallel over said contact-pieces,an alarm time-setting mechanism and means whereby the clockworkoperatively interengages the cam with the control rod to angularly shiftthe rod between said positions and thereby make the arm sweep over saidcontact-pieces and produce at the time defined by the alarm time-settingmechanism, a succession of signals the number of which is equal to thatof the contactpieces.

7. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to be driven by the latter, a control rod adapted torock round its axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, a cam drivenby the timing mechanism and adapted to angularly shift the control rodbetween two angular positions, a series of contactpieces over which saidarm is adapted to sweep in succession upon angular shifting of the rodbetween said,

positions, an alarm system, an electric alarm circuit feeding said alarmsystem in parallel over said contact-pieces, a hand-operable switchadapted to switch otf the circuit thereby to render the alarm systeminoperative, an alarm time-setting mechanism and means whereby theclockwork operatively interengages the cam with the control rod toangularly shift the rod between said positions and thereby make the armsweep over said contact-pieces and produce at the time defined by thealarm time-setting mechanism, a succession of signals the number ofwhich is equal to that of the contact-pieces.

8. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to be driven by the latter, a control rod adapted torock round its axis, an

' arm radially rigid with said rod, a cam driven by the timing mechanismand adapted to angularly shift the control rod between two angularpositions, a series of contactpieces over which said arm is adapted tosweep in succession upon angular shifting of the rod between saidpositions, an alarm system, an electric alarm circuit feeding said alarmsystem in parallel over said contact-pieces, an alarm time-settingmechanism and means whereby the clockwork operatively interengages thecam with the control rod to angularly shift the rod between saidpositions and thereby make the arm sweep over said contactpieces andproduce at the time defined by the alarm timesetting mechanism, asuccession of signals the number of which is equal to that of thecontact-pieces.

9. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to be driven by the latter, a control rod adapted torock round its axis, an arm radially rigid with said rod, a cam drivenby the timing mechanism and adapted to angularly shift the control rodbetween two angular positions, four contactpieces over which said arm isadapted to sweep in succession upon angular shifting of the rod betweensaid positions, an alarm system, an electric alarm circuit feeding saidalarm system in parallel over said contact-pieces, an alarm time-settingmechanism and means whereby the clockwork operatively interengages thecam with the control rod to angularly shift the rod between saidpositions and thereby make the arm sweep over said contactpieces andproduce at the time defined by the alarm timesetting mechanism, asuccession of four signals.

10. In an alarm clock, the combination of a motion work, a timingmechanism adapted to be driven by the latter, an axially shiftablecontrol rod adapted to rock round its axis, an arm radially rigid withsaid rod, a rotary cylindrical cam provided with a concave transversesurface in which a plurality of arcuate grooves are formed between itscenter and periphery, a second arm radially rigid with the control rodand including at its outer end a depending section adapted for apredetermined operative axial position of the rod, to be guided by acooperating arcuate groove from the center to the periphery of the camto thereby shift the control rod between two angular positions, amentioned arm when in its operative axial position, is adapted to sweepin succession upon angular shifting of the rod between said poistions,an alarm system, an electric alarm circuit feeding said alarm system inparallel over said contact-pieces, an alarm time-setting mechanism, anaxially shiftable wheel permanently controlled by the motion work andengaging through its transverse surface one end of the control rod,means whereby the alarm time-setting machine shifts said wheel axiallybetween an operative and an inoperative position to shift said rod intoits operative axial position for which the second arm engages the camand angularly shifts the rod between said angular positions to make thefirst-mentioned arm sweep over said contact-pieces and produce asuccession of signals the number of which is equal to that of thecontact-pieces, elastic means returning the outer end ,of the second arminto substantially axial registry with the center of the cam and furtherelastic means urging the tip of the control rod into engagement with thewheel.

No references cited.

LEYLAND M. MARTIN, Primary Examiner. LEO SMILOW, Examiner.

1. IN AN ALARM CLOCK, THE COMBINATION OF A MOTION WORK, A TIMINGMECHANISM ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY THE LATTER, A CONTROL ROD ADAPTED TOROCK ROUND ITS AXIS, AN ARM RADIALLY RIGID WITH SAID ROD, A CAM DRIVENBY THE TIMING MECHANISM AND ADAPTED TO ANGULARLY SHIFT THE CONTROL RODBETWEEN TWO ANGULAR POSITIONS, A SERIES OF CONTACT-PIECES OVER WHICHSAID ARM IS ADAPTED TO SWEEP IN SUCCESSION UPON ANGULAR SHIFTING OF THEROD BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS, AN ALARM SYSTEM, AN ELECTRIC ALARM CIRCUITFEEDING SAID ALARM SYSTEM IN PARALLEL OVER SAID CONTACT-PIECES, AN ALARMTIME-SETTING MECHANISM AND MEANS WHEREBY THE CLOCKWORK OPERATIVELYINTERENGAGES THE CAM WITH THE CONTROL ROD TO ANGULARLY SHIFT THE RODBETWEEN SAID POSITIONS AND THEREBY